In His Shadow
by CathAstrophik
Summary: She grew up with him. She saw and shared his suffering. She grew closer to him as the years went by. She accepted the heavy burdens he forced upon her after the Massacre. He sealed her life in Konoha. She became Konoha's Uzume for him. She created the art of darkness to protect the ones he loved. She knew he wasn't coming back. His fate was decided. She loved him until the end.
1. Chapter 1

All she could hear was the beating of her heart through the pounding in her ears. The pain was something so intense she had broken a couple of teeth from her clenching. There was no way of knowing what was happening to her since her eyes were closed shut. Voices around her felt so close but she couldn't depict the words. Everything was in a blur and all she could do was to keep pushing. She had been a shinobi all her life but this pain was the worst she had felt in years. She gripped the sheets of the bed she was lying on, her toes curled in pain. She knew it wouldn't be much longer before her body would rip under the pressure of this surge of pain. She was about to crack, her mind slowly giving in to despair when she heard a soft noise. It was so faint yet so strong at the same time. The pain slowly died down and she could finally open her eyes. Her vision was blurred but she could see what she had been striving for all along. She heard a little creature cry and she slowly focused her gaze on the baby she was now carrying in her arms. Her green eyes met the infant's black marbles. It smiled at her and she realized at that point that all of this that had happened to her until now was for this exact moment of happiness. (…)

Miyeko looked outside her window. It was still dark outside and the moon was almost gone in the horizon. She rose from her bed and walked to the bathroom where she bathed quickly. It was a typical morning where she had to attend Konoha's Ninja Academy. At 7 years old, Miyeko of the clan Nagaki of Konoha was about to graduate, something that was rare in this village. Her parents were so proud and the whole clan called her a prodigy. She brushed her long black locks and looked in the mirror. Her reflection showed how a seven-year-old girl could already be tired of life. She frowned. No, this is not how she should act. She wasn't tired of life. She was tired of _her_ life. Already at such a young age she felt the pressure of her clan to triumph and to shine like the dawn. She exited the bathroom, put on the black kimono her mother had sown for her and walked down the stairs to join her parents in the kitchen where they had been waiting for her. "Miyeko, there you are. Have you made the necessary preparations for your graduation today?" asked her father.

"Yes Father. The paperwork has been signed." She replied, sitting down next to her big sister, serving herself breakfast. Unlike her, her big sister Kuri had flowing white hair and dark eyes, meaning she had inherited the clan's Gekkei Genkai or secret ability: the use of dark chakra. The Nagaki clan was renowned for using dark chakra nature techniques that terrified the shinobi world. This unnatural energy phenomenon was occurring rarely, in very special individuals and that is why Kuri was one of Konoha's most notable and respected shinobi. At the age of fifteen, she was part of the Hokage's personal guard and a Black Ops operations officer. She was everything Miyeko disliked about the shinobi life: unrealistic expectations and a life that wasn't truly her own. Unfortunately, Miyeko had decided at a younger age that the shinobi way was the sacrifice she had to make to protect the civilians and the people she cared about in this village. Miyeko ate her food silently while her Father smiled at Kuri. "My special girl. I hope your assignments weren't too hard this month."

"I find this time of year boring in the ANBU, nothing special happening." She said in between two bites. The sun was finally showing its beautiful pink colors in the sky, meaning it was time to go. Miyeko slowly got up and thanked her parents for the food. "We're sorry we can't make it today to your graduation sweetheart." Said her mother. "It's been a busy time at the hospital and Ibiki has had your father working on difficult cases lately. I hope you can forgive us." She continued.

"Of course, Mother. I will see you later." Miyeko wasn't surprised her parents couldn't make it to graduation. She walked towards the main door, put on her sandals and headed out. She quickly noticed that her sister was trying to catch up to her. "Miyeko, wait." She said to her. Miyeko stopped and smiled.

"Kuri, you'll be late yourself, what is it?" she asked. Miyeko had always adored her sister and almost pitied her for the way she was being pushed into a life that wasn't her choice. Kuri's long white braids brushed Miyeko's shoulders as they hugged.

"I am so proud of you, Miyeko. I can't believe you're already graduating. You're so young to go on this shinobi path… Are you sure this is what you want?" she asked her.

"I've always followed the path chosen for me. It's unfortunate that it has the be the path of shinobi. I know my destiny. Being a ninja of Konoha… it's what expected of me." She replied. Kuri smiled a fake smile, like she wanted her sister to know that she approved her choice even though it saddened her.

"Please, make sure you don't lose yourself in this shinobi business. Soon, with your amazing talent, you'll climb the shinobi ladder and you might get tempted to lose your spark as a human being. Do me a favor and don't. It would break my heart to see you succumb to darkness, Miyeko. You know of our clan's history, right Miyeko? Those who are born Nagaki are tempted by the shadows yet they see the light in the face of adversity. Never forget that. Here, I want you to have this." She handed her forehead protector to her younger sister, who suddenly bore wide eyes. Her silver and black forehead protector had been the only sentimental possession Kuri had ever kept to herself and Miyeko didn't understand why she was giving it to her.

"But, Kuri! I can't accept that! It was your very first forehead protector!" she was about to push it away but Kuri forced her hand on it.

"I want you to take it. I know I have been away for quite some time now due to work, but with this protector, I can stay close to you and protect you because I'm your sister and that's what big sisters do. Make me proud. Make your clan proud, Miyeko. Mother didn't sow the clan's crest, our rising sun, on your kimono's back for nothing. You may not have the darkness in your chakra like I do, but you can find light in your actions. That's your strength. Now, it's time for you to go, you'll be late. I'll see you soon, Miyeko." She kissed her sister on the forehead and disappeared in the morning shadows. Miyeko smiled. Kuri was her aspiration, her hero, her sister. Since they were little, Kuri had taken the blame for their father's expectations and dreams. After all, she would succeed him after his passing as head of the clan and the heir always shines brighter than the rest. As for Miyeko, she had to follow in her sister's steps and try to meet the heavy and unattainable expectations of her clan, of her family, just like her sister did so perfectly. It was clear to her that those exact expectations were just a distant clan dream and that her path would be drawn by her and her only. She looked at the rising sun and knew she'd be late if she didn't hurry to the Academy. She ran to her destination with a brighter idea of who she wanted to be and her smile gleamed in the dawn's light.

When she got to the Academy, the sun was higher in the sky and she saw the many parents waiting outside for their sons and daughters to graduate. Miyeko had made a few friends while she was at the Academy, but no one she could put her trust in sticky situations or confess her secrets to. After all, her parents, her clan wouldn't allow her to play with other children for the fear of her hurting somebody or getting hurt was too much to bear for her mother and would be a great disappointment to her father. Maybe that's why her bond with her big sister was so great: she had been her only friend for as long as she could remember. As she walked through the crowd of parents, Miyeko bumped into a strong, tall man with black hair. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir." This man looked at her with his onyx eyes. Miyeko felt threatened for a moment, but when she noticed the Uchiha crest on his kimono, she smiled. After all, the Nagaki and Uchiha had been allies for a while, her sister had told her.

"Aren't you the Nagaki girl that's graduating?" he asked. She smiled politely. Of course, the crest on her back gave her away.

"Yes. My name is-"

"I know who you are, Miyeko. My son talks to me about you all the time. He tells me you have exceptional talents, speed and stealth being your strong suits. He told me he enjoyed sparring with you and that you proved to be an 'interesting challenge'. Doesn't surprise me coming from the Nagaki." Miyeko blushed. He couldn't mean this son, could he? This boy who came in first in their class, outclassing her by just this little bit… Itachi Uchiha, the Uchiha clan's next prodigy, talked about her?

"I hope Itachi and I can continue to be an inspiration to each other to keep improving." She said politely. She noticed the Chunnin teachers were coming outside to greet the graduates and Miyeko bowed politely to Fugaku Uchiha while walking back to her group. Immediately she searched in the distance the boy who praised her to the Uchiha like she was his equal. "Miyeko, there you are! We were waiting for you!" said her teacher, inviting her to join the rest of the group inside. "Where are your parents, Miyeko? I was expecting to see your Father today." Miyeko's smile disappear.

"Father had to assist Ibiki-sensei today. Mother couldn't escape the hospital. I came alone." She said. The other kids started building around as they were ready for the ceremonies of graduation. Her Chunnin teacher frowned. "You have to be accompanied by a parent or a guardian to be able to graduate, Miyeko… I'm sorry." He said to her. That's when Miyeko realized that even though she had all of the tools to be a shinobi, the only weapon she was missing was support from her own family. She sighed and was ready to be removed from the ceremony when somebody tapped her shoulder from behind. Miyeko's intuitions were always correct and she could feel every single element in this room that held chakra but never sensed this person coming from behind her. She smiled and turned around. "Kuri!" she beamed at her sister and Kuri nodded at the teacher.

"I'll vouch for her today. Thank you, Adamei-sensei." Adamei-sensei nodded. "It's good to see Konoha's Shadow Dweller back in this school." The rest of the ceremony was a blur to Miyeko, who was only too happy to see her favorite person in the world walking with her to receive her forehead protector on this special day. When her name was called to meet the Third Hokage, she followed her big sister and bowed alongside her to the leader of the village of Konoha respectfully.

"Ah, Nagaki Miyeko. I had been waiting for you. I see Kuri will vouch for you today. Excellent. Here, come and receive the proof you're a true shinobi of this village. Here today I present to you your forehead protector. I hope you have a long and successful career as a shinobi, Miyeko." He presented her a standard forehead protector and Miyeko smiled politely, like she was so used to doing.

"I have a special request, my lord Hokage. I wish to become a ninja of this village wearing this particular forehead protector, please." She said, handing over the forehead protector that her sister gave her earlier today. The Third Hokage laughed and looked at her. "This one is old and used, my dear." He said to her.

"Yes, lord Hokage. This is exactly why I want this one to graduate with. My life as a shinobi of this village will also be bearing cuts, dents and will be dulled with time. It will give me inspiration to carry the heavy duties of my choice. It will be a difficult life with strides and hardships. This shiny and untouched forehead protector means nothing to me." She explained to him. Hokage smirked and laughed a little.

"Sometimes, I wonder if you really are seven years old, little girl. You and your parents must be proud, Shadow Dweller." He said to Kuri. "Yes, very, lord Hokage." She said, bowinf down in respect to the most powerful shinobi of this land. The Third Hokage blessed her forehead protector and handed it over to her.

"Congratulations, Miyeko. You are Genin now." He said, his old and raspy voice echoing in the room. Miyeko accepted his blessing and Kuri held her by her shoulders lovingly as they left the room. Miyeko looked at her used forehead protector and looked at Kuri. "Thank you, Big Sister."

"There's nothing to thank me for, Miyeko. It's a bitter sweet moment for me to see you graduate so young, actually. You see, it's not a life I would have chosen for myself and seeing you there, so compliant to your future as a ninja of this village, kind of breaks my heart a little. But it's your choice and it's a choice you made on your own. Now, come here." She said, grabbing her old forehead protector and tying it to her little sister's neck. Miyeko looked puzzled. "Why around my neck, Kuri?" she asked.

"The Nagaki never get hit anyway on the head. We're just too comfortable to melt and hide in the shadows." She said laughing. Miyeko also laughed and turned her gaze around to two walking figures heading to the ceremony room. Her eyes widen as she saw what she had been looking for on this day. This kid with long black hair and with porcelain skin was looking straight towards her while walking next to his father. Fugaku also nodded at her while a rare smile. The young boy with dark almond eyes looked straight in her direction and she blushed, surprised. She noticed how deep his dark gaze was. He smiled at her, making her heart stop a little. It was him. Itachi Uchiha.

"Hi." She said and waved back to him. He seemed taken aback by her sudden interest in his presence. Well, that was stupid, she thought. Kuri smirked as she saw her younger sister try to socialize with one of weirdest kids she's met. Itachi Uchiha was, as Kuri knew, an introverted and silent kid that had a lot of problems making friends. It was nice to see her little sister make the first step in them becoming friends. To her surprise, Itachi waved back as him and Fugaku entered the room to meet the Third Hokage. Fugaku Uchiha wasn't a person who commonly acknowledged children from other clans but had noticed her younger sister… That raised doubts in Kuri's mind right away.

"Well, are we going home, Kuri? You know you'll get in trouble by Mother and Father for ditching your mission today to come here, right?" she asked her big sister. Kuri was too preoccupied by the switch in attitude of the Uchiha boy and father towards her little sister to acknowledge Miyeko's question.

"Uh, sure. I'll figure it out. Don't worry about it." She said as they both walked out of the Academy, walking side by side. Miyeko was beaming and wearing her forehead protector proudly while Kuri frowned. She would have to have a talk with her parents soon about Miyeko, she feared. She wouldn't mention anything to Miyeko for now. It was her special day after all. They walked together in the sunlight back to the Nagaki compound, Kuri walking with her little sister on her shoulders, both of them smiling.

Two days had passed since the graduation ceremony and Miyeko woke up with the sun's rays shining on her face. It certainly had been a few interesting past days. Kuri declined all of her missions to train Miyeko and her parents were furious at her older sister for that. Kuri was the pride of the small Nagaki clan and her dismissing her duties to take care of her little sister seemed irresponsible and was even endangering the clan's reputation. But Kuri didn't seem to mind all this negative attention. She focused her energy on Miyeko mastering her shadow shuriken techniques before she was put in a Genin team. They had been training for the last forty-eight hours intensively for Miyeko to have mastered some of the kunai and shuriken techniques passed down from their Nagaki ancestors and Kuri knew this would help Miyeko blend into the shinobi world. Of course, Kuri couldn't teach all that she knew, all that self acquired knowledge of her own powers since Miyeko didn't possess her bloodline limit. She couldn't understand the use of dark chakra and how to manipulate it. Thus, Kuri limited herself to teach her the basics, which Miyeko mastered almost immediately. "I never knew you learned this fast, Miyeko. You'll catch up to me in no time!" said Kuri before tucking her sister into bed last night.

"I want to beat you one day, Kuri. Even if it takes one hundred years. I'll prove I can do it without our clan's powers and with only my wits and effort." She said, tired but still smiling. "One day, I will hand over the flame of my knowledge to you Miyeko. Until then, stay a kid and learn your way of ninja." That night, the moon was the witness to Kuri's promise.


	2. Chapter 2

Miyeko had risen up earlier that day and was already sitting at her desk at the Konoha Ninja Academy, calmly reading a book on shinobi team strategies. Her sister had given that book to her, hoping it would complete Miyeko's team work training. The Graduate Information Session was taking place in half an hour yet not one single soul was here from her graduate class. She sighed. She heard the door open and she saw him. Itachi Uchiha, wearing his forehead protector, stood still in front of the class, gazing at her. With a creeping blush, Miyeko quickly returned her attention to her book. She could hear his footsteps getting closer to her. This was ridiculous. Uchihas are too cool to speak to anyone or make friends for the matter. So why was he approaching her all of a sudden?

"Good morning." Was what he said to her. She rose her gaze from her book to look at him. His parents neglected to cut his hair, it seemed. His long black locks covered his face a little, held back by his new Konoha forehead protector. She looked into his onyx eyes softly and raised an eyebrow. "Funny it is that we've been at school for a year together, yet you never spoke to me." She said back to him. He looked down and smiled.

"I'm sorry. A mistake on my part. Can I sit here?" he asked, pointing at the seat next to her. She sighed. "There are literally thirty seats you can choose from, Itachi Uchiha. Why the one next to me?" she asked him. Again, he looked down and smiled.

"Because your book seems interesting and I thought I could have a peek at it when you're not looking." This surprised Miyeko. He was… brutally honest. This shocked her. She expected another type of excuse but I guess he was a no excuse kind of boy. She nodded and he calmly sat down next to her. She went back to reading but she could feel his intense gaze on her.

"Why did you talk about me to your father, Itachi?" she asked him. Her forwardness seemed to have caught him off guard, thing she didn't expect from him. He laughed a little and very awkwardly. Miyeko couldn't believe it. Itachi Uchiha, the prodigy of this Academy, the number one student of her year and the years to come, was stumbling upon his words to answer her question. Her sister was right. He was a very shy and socially maladapted. He couldn't come up with an answer. Soon, other graduates began to enter the room as Itachi's attitude reverted back to shyness. Still, the small smile on his face showed that he didn't feel uncomfortable towards her. Miyeko didn't understand boys, she decided. She was a bright girl but this was just too hard for her. As the clock hit 9'oclock, the Chunin educators gathered in front of the graduate class and all of them had check lists. Miyeko sat straight as the meeting began.

"Good morning graduates." Said Adamei-sensei. "Today, you are officially beginning your careers as shinobi of Konoha. Being a ninja to this village is very honorable but your life will bear the heavy consequences of your choice. To help you bear the burden, we will assign three-men teams today and you will then, with a Jonin sensei, begin to undertake missions for the village. Now, let's begin." Miyeko knew that, from this point on, her life was changed forever, her future unknown. She was now a Leaf Village kunoichi. "I will now announce the teams." Said Adamei-sensei.

Miyeko didn't care who she was teamed up with. All of her graduate companions have passed the exams and would do their very best during missions. What she was worried about is the progress she would make with those around her. Would she be slowing her team down? After all, she was, along with Itachi Uchiha, the youngest kid in her graduate class. Or would it be her who would carry her team through tough situations? She glanced back at the book her sister lent to her. Teamwork, she thought. Kuri was so smart. She knew Miyeko would ask herself these questions today and that is why she gave her the book. It doesn't matter about progress or success for now. Teamwork was the thing to work on. She smiled. Her sister knew her so well it scared her a little.

It took a while before Miyeko's name was mentioned. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was bored. "Miyeko Nagaki." Finally, she thought. "Brilliant student. I guess we could team you up with Tenma… Help him a little. He'll need it." Adamei-sensei said with a smirk. Miyeko smiled. Tenma was glaring at her from the back of the room. She found him to be a complete idiot, but nonetheless he was nice… and scared of her. This made her smile even more, which Itachi seemed to have noticed. It took a couple minutes and Miyeko was still waiting for the third member of her team to be announced. Adamei-sensei cleared up his throat.

"This team will be completed with Itachi Uchiha, who had the best results overall during the evaluation period. Let us pray that the two best students of this school will help Tenma achieve his goals as shinobi." Snikered Adamei-sensei while the other sensei laughed. Miyeko frowned. She hated the situation she was put in. Itachi being on her team was one of the reasons why, but she found deplorable that Tenma had to endure such treatment from high ranked ninjas.

"I don't see why this is a laughing matter." She said loudly so Adamei-sensei could catch her vibe. There was an awkward silence and Adamei-sensei cleared his throat once again. "Sorry. You are right, Miyeko. My apologies, Tenma." He said. Finally, all assigned teams were given a break to talk and have lunch before the next meeting.

Miyeko headed alone towards the forest next to the Academy where she could vent her negative emotions out. She placed her bento boxes next to a big tree trunk and sat on the ground, hands in a simple chakra seal. She closed her eyes and screened out the environment surrounding her. Sometimes, Miyeko could feel the energy around her trying to invade her body but she was able to block it with chakra control.

Her clan, after all, specialized in morphing their bodies and their energy with their surroundings's energy so they could melt in the shadows and perform the trickiest stealth missions. Kuri had told Miyeko that her energy foreboding was even better than hers and that, one day, she would be able to perform a secret Nagaki clan technique, which was the Shadow Sage mode.

"Of course, it is very rare, even for people like me that possess our clan's bloodline limit, to achieve such a state. Such chakra control… it's unthinkable. Actually, it's been decades since a Nagaki clan member could manage it. I guess I'll have to try harder!" she had said to Miyeko, laughing. All this theory had made Miyeko weary of her clan's techniques and she had decided to push back the learning and mastering of those to concentrate on what was important: graduating. Now that her goal had been achieved, these techniques intrigued Miyeko even more. Suddenly, Miyeko's own energy was distrupted by another's. She frowned, keeping her hand seal firm.

"I thought I sensed your energy, Itachi." She said, opening her eyes, looking at his presence, in a near tree. He smirked.

"I didn't know you were a sensory type." He said.

"I think's it's much more than that. I can feel everything around me. The energy around me is trying to break in my own energy barrier, but I won't let it." She said, releasing her hand sign. She looked at her bento boxes. She looked back at Itachi and sighed. "Looks like you don't have a lunch, Itachi." She said. He jumped down from the tree and walked towards her.

"My mother was busy taking care of my baby brother this morning and I was running a little late. It's not a big deal." He said, sitting next to her, his back against the tree trunk. "Well, my mother cooked double portions, as always. I can always share what I have with you." She said, handing half of her lunch to Itachi.

"Oh, it's fine, you don't have to- your mother made _homemade_ dumplings?" he asked, his interest piqued. His eyes were round. Miyeko was surprised. Itachi had a sweet tooth! She smiled. In a matter of minutes, both kids had eaten every single bite of Miyeko's lunch. "Your mother is a great cook. I'll be sure to stop by and thank her later." He said. Miyeko blushed.

"She's a medical ninja. She'll probably be at the hospital healing patients, knowing her. There's not need for that." Replied Miyeko with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"And your father?" Itachi asked. "Where is he working?" he continued.

"My father works in the Torture and Interrogation Force with Ibiki Morino. They're busy lately. Loads of spies caught by the Leaf, from the looks of it." Itachi raised a brow, surprised.

"Who takes care of you then if your parents are never there?" he asked.

"My big sister Kuri. She's ANBU and she's Konoha Shadow Dweller, but she always has time for me. My big sister is the best ninja I've ever seen. She possesses our clan's sacred bloodline limit, after all. Lord Hokage is very proud of her." She said, smiling. "What about you? You mentioned you have a little brother." She asked Itachi.

"Yes. I'm the big brother in my family. His name is Sasuke. He's… very important to me. Much like your big sister Kuri is to you. I'll do anything to protect him. That meant becoming ninja for me." He said, but he stopped there. "Hey, you two losers! Lunch break is over! Let's get back inside." Said Tenma in the distance, waving. The rest of the day was a blur to Miyeko. Her team was, overall, an interesting mix up of kids and their sensei, Yuki Minazuki, was an alright jonin with good principles. That day, they had their first genin mission, which took almost two hours to complete. Miyeko never thought that mowing the lawn for an elderly could be so annoying.

As the team left the Hokage's room and were dismissed by Yuki-sensei, Miyeko noticed that Fugaku Uchiha was waiting outside, his arms crossed, obviously waiting for his son to finish his first day as Genin. Kuri wasn't there. She was probably still on mission and her parents were too busy to catch up to her. Her eyes lowered as Itachi waved goodbye at her. He ran in the distant to join his father and they ran together back to the new Uchiha compound. Miyeko was about to walk home too when she noticed something shiny in the distance, lying on the ground. She walked towards to notice that Itachi had dropped his forehead protector on the ground. He must've put it in his pocket, she thought, and it dropped. She grabbed it and headed home. She frowned. She could always walk past the Uchiha compound and drop it at Fugaku Uchiha's place so Itachi could have it as soon as possible. She nodded and smiled.

The newly appointed Uchiha compound was built specifically to meet the Uchiha clan's needs, located next to Konoha's training fields. She could still smell the fresh paint of the high walls surrounding the compound and the flowers in the exterior gardens. She stood in front of the main gates, which bore the Uchiha crest, a red and white paper fan. As she walked inside the compound, all eyes turned to her. The flower shop lady, the baker and even the shuriken seller on the street, all of these people were looking at her like she was a stranger in a strange land. After all, it was unusual for a non Uchiha folk to come to the clan's living quarters.

As she walked past the Uchiha Police Force Headquarters, Miyeko noticed somebody looking at her. She turned around to face a tall, dark haired man. "What are you doing here, little girl?" he asked. Miyeko Nagaki was a kind child but seemed to take badly his tone of voice. However she quickly calmed down when she noticed his Police Star on his shinobi vest, meaning he was part of the law enforcement order of Konoha. "Did I do something wrong, officer?" she asked.

"I'll repeat myself. What are you doing here on Uchiha grounds? I swear, if you do not answer me I'll- _Chief Fugaku!_ What are you doing here?" he said, his tone quickly changing to a submissive one. Behind the tall man Miyeko saw Itachi's father, Fugaku Uchiha, Chief of Police, his arms still crossed and looking not too happy.

"Officer Hendo, I think it's time for you to go home. You look overworked. You must be, for you to seem so agitated by a Genin. Go home and rest." He said, dismissing him. The man complied and disappear in a smoke cloud. Miyeko politely bowed and smiled, her long black bangs covering her face.

"Thank you, Fugaku, sir." Fugaku walked past her, turning his head. "Walk with me." He said.

Miyeko quickly caught up to him and stayed silent. She didn't know what to say after all.

"What are you doing here on the Uchiha compound, Nagaki girl?" he asked. Why did all the Uchiha ask her that? What was so infuriating about her presence in their living quarters? This would never happen in Nagaki territory, not to anyone. Why were they so on edge?

"Um, you see, I, um…" she started but couldn't finish her sentence.

"Speak clearly child. I do not have all day waiting for your answer." He said.

"I'm looking for Itachi, actually." She blurted out. Fugaku frowned. "You're looking for my son? Are you becoming one of those idiotic fan girls running around for him to teach you shuriken techniques?" he asked. Miyeko took insult to that.

"With all due respect, sir, I don't need him to teach me anything for I perform these techniques better than he does." She said. That took Fugaku by surprised and he let out a frank laugh.

"You are a funny kid, Miyeko Nagaki. Who taught you how to use these intricate shuriken techniques? Your run of the mill medical ninja mother or your failed torture specialist father?" he asked with a hint of venom in his mouth. She stopped in her track and frowned, clenching Itachi's forehead protector in her hand.

"My genius sister, Kuri. One of Konoha's best ANBU captains and most respected kunoichi. You must've heard about her. She goes by the name Shadow Dweller." She replied dryly. Fugaku also stopped, frowning at her.

"Yes. I know who she is. So young and so talented. A real shame only one in your family inherited the Nagaki's bloodline limit, is it not? And looks to me like you weren't the lucky one. So what makes you so special, Miyeko Nagaki? What about you caught my son's attention? Tell me, I'm curious because all I see is a scrawny girl with no special trait and angry eyes." He told her with a smirk. The seven year old girl was about inches away from letting the energy surrounding her take over her own but a hand quickly appeared on her shoulder and she stopped, turning around.

"Itachi." She said.

Itachi Uchiha had been standing behind her, his hand gently resting on her shoulder. Fugaku's eyes widen. "Itachi! I thought you were home." He said.

"I heard there was a commotion outside so I went to investigate. I'm glad to see someone else than an Uchiha on these grounds. It's refreshing, actually. Father, thank you for walking Miyeko around and show her the compound. I'll take it from here." Fugaku grumbled something under his breath and disappear in a cloud of smoke. Miyeko angrily turned around and glared at Itachi.

"You could've spared me that altercation with your father, Itachi!" she said, short of breath.

"I'm sorry about my father. He's not used to strangers on Uchiha land and… he's not used to me having friends either." He said, smiling. Miyeko couldn't find this boy stranger even if she tried. She quickly handed his forehead protector back to him. "You dropped that. You should be more careful." She said.

"Oh, I was." He said.

"What do you mean? You dropped it. You could have lost it." She answered, puzzled.

"You see, I did it on purpose. I knew you'd bring it back to me." He said. Oh, the nerve of him! Miyeko didn't know if she should have felt anger towards him or towards herself.

"Why did you want me to come here, then?" she asked.

"Because I wanted to invite you to diner tomorrow at my house." Miyeko blushed.

"But, I- what? I thought, I thought that you- this is confusing." She managed to say, suddenly getting shy.

"My mother insisted to meet you, Miyeko. Also, my cousin Shisui will also be there. He's a fan of your sister, that he is and he's been bothering me forever to invite you over so he can ask all kinds of silly questions about her. Please, for my sake, just say yes." He said, smirking. Well, what do you know. Itachi Uchiha had a sense of humour, too.

Miyeko frowned. "Fine. I'll be there." Itachi smiled. "I guess it's settled. I'll see you tomorrow morning for team training." He said, walking back to the main road and home.

Miyeko quickly exited the Uchiha compound and sighed. That Itachi… was smarter than she expected. She rolled her eyes and walked home, where it was a bit more normal and where dumplings were waiting for her.


End file.
